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Posted on LA PLATA, Md. (Nov. 19, 2008) -- The College of Southern Maryland will be offering ManageFirst certification classes spring semester 2009 for those who wish to begin or advance their careers in the restaurant, hospitality or food service industries. Part of the CSM’s personal enrichment program, ManageFirst has a core of four management courses and the choice of one of eight electives in specialties selected by the student. Certification is through the National Restaurant Association’s Educational Foundation (NRAEF), said ManageFirst instructor Mark Fine of Joshua Systems, a hospitality industry training firm. According to the National Restaurant Association, there are currently 60,000 to 70,000 certifications nationwide. “For students interested in hospitality careers, the certificate program segues nicely into a college degree,” Fine added. “The program is designed for people who want to re-tool their careers or to explore a new career without a huge monetary commitment,” said CSM’s Personal Enrichment Program Coordinator Vickie Grow. For those who want to move quickly through the program, the core classes can be completed in one year with electives taken in the second year. Classes are held on evenings and Saturdays so that students can continue to work while advancing their careers, Grow said. Restaurant jobs represent 9 percent of total employment in Maryland and are expected to increase by 33,700 jobs over the next 10 years, according to the NRA. The ManageFirst Certification Program kicks off in the spring with a 56-hour hospitality course which runs from Jan. 27 through May 7, Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. at CSM’s La Plata Campus. Cost control, hospitality management or restaurant management, hospitality human resource management or supervision, and ServSafe food safety are the other courses required to receive certification. Elective courses range from nutrition to purchasing to cooking skills. For information contact Vickie Grow at 301-934-7652 from La Plata, 301-870-2309 from Metro DC, 240-725-5499 from Leonardtown or 443-550-6199, ext. 7652 from Prince Frederick or visit http://www.csmd.edu/ContinuingEducation/hospitality.html . |